Want to Live Longer? You Don’t Have to Move to a Blue Zone

Mayte Guillén

May 27, 2024

When I’m 82, I aspire to feel as healthy as my grandmother. She radiates vitality and fulfillment thanks to her choice to lead a healthy lifestyle. But what exactly does a “healthy lifestyle” entail and how can we achieve this higher level of fitness?

A healthy lifestyle is a way of living that enables people to fully appreciate their lives and can extend their life expectancy. If chosen wisely, lifestyles can positively affect physical, mental, and social well-being, allowing people to live their lives to their fullest, both in the present and the future, without the burden of extreme health anxiety.

Scientists and entrepreneurs have identified several lifestyles that allow people to grow a sense of purpose, achieve their life goals, and maintain happiness. I resonate with the “Blue zones” lifestyle proven to help people live better, longer lives.

National Geographic author and explorer Dan Buettner first introduced The Blue Zones in 2004, shedding light on the components and characteristics of a Blue Zone. As defined by The Max Planck Institute, Blue Zones are locations where the average lifespan surpasses that of the global average, and rates of chronic illness are lower. 

Originally, places classified as Blue Zones were Ikaria, Greece, Okinawa, Japan, Nicoya, Costa Rica, Sardinia, Italy, and Loma Linda, United States. More recently, in 2019, Dan Buettner unveiled Singapore as a Blue Zone “2.0,” as it developed one of the best national healthcare systems and extended citizens’ average life expectancy from 66.76 in 1965 to 83.4 as of now. 

Both as individuals and as a community, we can extract the valuable insights offered by Blue Zones. Undoubtedly, not every country has the necessary resources readily available to become a Blue Zone, but implementing healthy, common practices, as those found in the Blue Zones, can certainly enhance the quality of life within a nation. As the secrets of the Blue Zones become more widely recognized, our world has the ability to decrease health concerns.

All Blue Zones, to a certain extent, adhere to similar lifestyles and health practices: plant-based diets, low intake of alcohol and tobacco, exercise, and most importantly connection and socialization within the community. During his 20-year expedition, Buettner attributed the acquisition of longer lifespans to the culture of an environment. The lifestyles and health practices commonly found in Blue Zones can be boiled down to 9 core principles, which Buettner calls the "Power 9": Move Naturally, Purpose, Downshift, 80% Rule, Plant Slant, Wine @ 5, Right Tribe, Loved ones first, and Belong. 

As emphasized by Buettner, consistent practice of these habits is key to longevity.

The Netflix series “Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones,” dives deeper into the specific lifestyles of each Blue Zone.

After reviewing the work of Buettner, I believe even vaguely following these mindful principles would greatly improve both the quality and the length of my own life. Once people become educated and acknowledge the pressing importance of what we eat, who we interact with, and how we move our bodies, the world could move toward healthier ways of living. 

For more information about Blue Zones and the “Power 9” visit https://www.bluezones.com/2016/11/power-9/